Who's Your Daddy?
by ami-chan200
Summary: WaTMagnificent Seven crossover, so, AU. Martin has an interesting past and a lot more secrets than his coworkers imagined.
1. Chapter 1

Yes, this is a WaT and Mag7 (Modern Day AU) crossover. Why? Because I can. Oh and forgive the title, it's horrible, I know, but it fits surprisingly well. Again, this is not slash. I'm being cruel with the suggestive titles, really.

And let me begin with this quote because it was swarming around my head when this idea struck me and it took me at least half an hour to actually find the words to make sure I had them right: "there is my relationship with your mask and your relationship with my mask" – _Escape from Intimacy_, Anne Wilson Schaef.

Who's Your Daddy? (aka Masks)

by Ami-chan

They'd just finished up their latest case and were starting in on the ever so delightful mounds of paperwork they had to do when the call came. Martin answered the phone as always, with a sure but slightly absent, "Fitzgerald." It was the sudden discomfort in the air that made Danny look up just in time to catch Martin's wide-eyed gaze that was quickly being forced back into his normal, calm expression. "Yeah, send him up."

"Everything all right?"

Martin nodded distractedly, muttering, "Fine," before he began mindlessly attacking the piles of papers on his desk. Danny didn't believe him for a second and he continued to observe his friend. When a hesitant voice with a distinct southern accent asked, "Martin Fitzgerald?" the younger agent seemed to nearly jump out of his skin. (1) The agent that had been escorting the man backed away with a nod from Martin and the man approached with the air of someone who wasn't sure they were in the right place.

"Mr. Conley, you wished to speak with me?"

"Richard, please, and yes. You do have information concerning Vin Tanner, don't you?" The man, Richard, glanced at the chair he was offered and then promptly ignored it as if sitting would threaten his position. Whatever his position was.

"I do, but what exactly do you want with him?" To an untrained eye Martin seemed completely composed, relaxed, lethargic even, but Danny could almost see the underlying tension radiating off of him. Martin was freaked and that only made Danny all the more curious.

Richard began to explain that Vin Tanner's grandfather had recently passed away and that in his will he had left everything to his estranged grandson. Only they had no idea where he might be. As a note with the will, the late Michael Tanner had mentioned that in order to get a hold of Vin they would have to first find Martin Fitzgerald and that they specifically had to see Martin in person. Thus the reason for Richard's presence in the federal building after having flown from his Texas home where Michael Tanner had breathed his last.

The way Martin shifted during the man's monologue betrayed his surprise and when he had finished Martin was shaking his head in disbelief. "He didn't have any family. At least – I guess I never knew for certain."

"If you could just give me an address or a phone number so that I could arrange a meeting – "

He held up his hand, silencing Richard. "That won't be necessary, I assure you." Martin stood slowly, carefully and extended his hand. "Richard Conley, I'm Vin Tanner. Pleased to meet you."

There was a long, drawn out silence as Richard shook Martin's hand, a frown forming on his face. "But you're Martin Fitzgerald…?"

Martin shrugged. "I am now, yes, but my original birth certificate says 'Vincent Michael Tanner'. I'm sure they'll need all the documentation of that – that's really not the point. I mean, are there others? Is there more family I don't know about? Cousins? Aunts, uncles?"

Startled out of his surprise Richard nodded. "Yes, quite a few. It's – I guess I would be your, uh, cousin by marriage. Are you really Vin?"

A lopsided grin appeared on Martin's face, his head tilting just so. "'Reckon I am." Only it wasn't Martin's voice, it was different, a light Texan drawl coloring his words.

Richard's face lit up suddenly, his shock melting away into delighted surprise. "You are! This is – you'll have to come to Austin to meet everyone and there's the will, of course. He had been trying to find you for years after your mother died, he was nearly obsessed with it and then suddenly he just stopped, backed away. He must have found you, though? To have known your name now?"

"He must have, but I never saw him." They exchanged cards, Richard telling him where he was staying and that he would wait until Martin – Vin – was ready to leave. By the time Richard was escorted out by another agent the rest of the team was gathered around, eyeing Martin as if he were a stranger. And wasn't he?

"So, Victor Fitzgerald isn't your real father?"

Martin blinked rapidly as if coming out of a strange haze, his eyes focusing on Danny who had taken up a seated position on his desk, practically hovering over him. "What? Oh, no, Victor Fitzgerald is my biological father." He shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I'm just the bastard son he never wanted."

And that, _that_ was surprising. Not so much that Martin was illegitimate, but that he'd called himself a bastard or, furthermore that he said Victor hadn't wanted him. The man practically oozed protective energy around his son and sure, Victor wasn't the most demonstrative individual, but he certainly cared about Martin. Maybe he cared too much.

"You changed your name?" That was Vivian, looking both confused and concerned at the same time and definitely prying. She wanted more information.

"No, of course not. _He_ changed it. I'm not sure if he just didn't want it to be blatantly obvious that I wasn't his and Petra's son or if he was attempting to rewrite who I was and distance me from that – I think it was probably a combination of both. Especially now. Son of a bitch didn't want me to know I had family that was still alive. Other than his family, of course." Martin shook his head in disgust. "Not after he managed to keep the whole thing quiet which really wasn't that difficult, all things considered. He never talked about his legitimate daughters, hardly even mentioned Petra, so it really wasn't unusual for him to suddenly have a five-year old son."

Martin looked up suddenly as if he realized he was talking to his co-workers and not merely to himself. "To be honest, I don't think my sisters realize that I'm their _half_-brother. My youngest sister, Julia, was only six months at the time and Beth was just two and they simply didn't talk about it – in fact Victor still insists on calling Petra my 'mother'. It used to really upset me but then I guess all the exposure to it desensitized me. (2)

"It makes sense, though," he continued, his eyes turning inwards, becoming more and more distant. "He kept them away even when my grandfather came looking for me. It was likely out of guilt that he wanted to find me, just like it was out of guilt that my father kept me, but really they were all to blame. Her father must have… I don't know, I guess disinherited her when she became pregnant and Victor never thought to look back, never even considered the fact that he'd gotten her pregnant or that she was dying and penniless. He wouldn't have taken me if I hadn't been his son. He had me tested, _tested_ to make sure, but I can understand not wanting to make Petra angry, turn their lives upside down and, really, at the time they thought I was mentally inept so – "

"Wait, slow down. They thought you were what?" The pressure of Danny's hand on his shoulder seemed to recall Martin once more and Martin twitched in what might have been considered a shrug.

"Uh, mentally challenged."

Danny made a soft "ummhmm" sound. "And they thought that why?"

Another half-shrug. "I was in shock. They thought I was autistic and I suppose they never took into consideration the fact that I'd spent about two years watching my mother die and then the whole sitting by her body for over twenty four hours thing. Or the being rushed to the hospital from severe dehydration and malnourishment, but why would they have? At the time I was poor white trash and no one really cared until I became officially labeled 'Victor Fitzgerald's son'."

"Okay, stop. Rewind. I think you're leaving out some of the details here. What was wrong with your mother?" Sam had rolled a chair over and was now studying Martin with avid curiosity as if suddenly realizing that Martin had a history beyond being eyecandy. Jake, for his part, seemed as if he wanted to walk away from the entire scene very quickly but for some reason was stuck in place like he was watching an accident take place and no matter how much he wanted to look away he couldn't. Like Jake, Vivian seemed unable to move but it seemed more out of concern and the need to know more than because she was morbidly fascinated by what she was hearing.

"She had cancer. I didn't know that at the time, I only knew she wasn't doing very well, especially toward the end. At first I noticed that she was a bit unsteady – her hands would shake a bit, or her legs wouldn't be entirely steady, just a light sort of trembling. It got progressively worse but of course she couldn't afford to get help, we barely had enough for food." Martin gritted his teeth unconsciously at all the memories he was dredging up. "She worked for as long as she could and I knew it was hell on her, but she did it for me. Sometimes I'd stay with a neighbor but most of the time I was alone. It wasn't as if she could hire a babysitter so what else was she supposed to do?

"It wasn't really bad until that last week. She knew she was dying and I knew it, too because she didn't even try to go to work, she didn't do a whole lot of moving around, either. Not that she complained. That last day, that was awful. She didn't get up at all, just laid there, just sort of staring vacantly and when she looked at me tears would well in her tears and she tried to speak a bit, told me she loved me and that I should always remember who I was, that I was a Tanner."

His voice faltered for a moment, then recovering Martin slipped into an almost clinical description of what had happened, his voice detached, "At one point she must have had a stroke of some sort because she convulsed violently for a moment and then went still. I thought she was dead then, but when I called out to her she moved her hand. She didn't really blink, though, or move otherwise and it was several more hours until she stopped breathing. Her eyes were wide open when she died, staring right at me and I didn't move I just stayed there, watching, hoping maybe she'd starting breathing again or blink her eyes or even – even twitch.

"I was told later, or rather I overheard later, that I must have stayed like that for somewhere between eighteen to thirty four hours. After a week of her not showing up for work they thought that maybe something was wrong. That and I think the rent was due. So I was carted off to some hospital then tossed in some foster home for a few days, Victor had seen her name in the obituaries, noticed she'd left behind a son, I was tested and matched and viola I'm suddenly Martin Vincent Fitzgerald. Vincent because I'd managed enough coherency to say 'Vincent' – I'd really meant to say that my name was Vincent, but I was feeling rather apathetic so I didn't try to explain myself.

"The sad thing is that had her father not distanced himself from her – or maybe it was her fault because maybe she distanced herself from him – or if Victor had just glanced back once to see what was going on she might still be alive. Victor would have preferred that, I think – keeping her alive, keeping me distant, a sort of secret from the world, there but not labeled as his son. He makes it a point now to announce me as his son, as if there was a doubt of that. He wanted me to be taller to look more like him and there was speculation that I should have been taller, hell, look at Victor! (3) But, well, malnutrition will do that. He loses his cool whenever I'm around, I see it happening even now because I was a mistake, I make him feel guilty."

Martin smiled suddenly, his eyes gleaming with a deeply sad, but partly malicious sort of mirth. "I lived for that before, to hurt him. He'd stolen my identity, he tried to make me forget my own mother, to suddenly be his perfect oldest child, his only son. He never got it. He never understood that I acted out because of him and that when he sent me away to boarding schools it was only a reward; I didn't want to be anywhere near him. The glowing reports about me shocked him, he didn't know what to make of them. Everyone liked me and thought I had potential except him and at first he thought they were just saying that to him, because of who he was and they weren't. I only acted out for him because of him, because I blamed him and I still do.

"Oh, I try not to. To blame him, I mean. I can understand exactly why he acted as he did and it makes perfect sense when it's all out there, but now this – my grandfather was looking for me and he found me. He knew who I was and I never saw him and I have a feeling this was another of Victor's little things to protect me from… from myself, my past, I guess. I have never had a problem with my past, that's Victor's little hang up, another attempt to keep any scandal from the precious Fitzgerald name. When you get right down to it, I think that what gets him the most is that I'm not a Fitzgerald and I've never believed myself to be one – I'm a Tanner and I'm proud of that and I'm proud of my mother. Victor and pride? Not so much. I'm an embarrassment to him as much as he's an embarrassment to me."

Swiftly, deliberately, Martin snapped closed the folder sitting on his desk and took a deep, cleansing breath. "Thank you for letting me vent. It's been more years than I've wanted to count and I've never told anyone anything about that. I've kept it all bottled up just like dear dad wanted me to, which I think only made it all the more vivid and real and there because I wasn't suppose to even think about it. Jack," he said suddenly, changing tracks abruptly, starling all of them with the swift change, "I'm going to need a few days, maybe longer. Use whatever excuse you like – death of a family member, family crisis, identity crisis, I don't care, but I have to go to Texas and meet the other half of my family and hope they are at least tolerable. Otherwise I think I'll be back pretty quickly. I'm not a masochist after all."

"Yeah, sure," was all Jack could manage, but that was enough. Martin was packing everything up, throwing his report in Jack's general direction and then he was gone.

"Well that was a surprise." Vivian turned back to her own desk a bemused expression on her face. When Danny wandered toward her, Vivian told him, a smirk firmly in place, "I guess you aren't the only one who got his name changed."

-to be continued-

(1) Okay, in case you didn't know (and at times I don't see how that's possible) Eric Close is six years OLDER than Enrique Murciano, so it always makes me smile a bit when I see fanfics referring to Martin as being younger than Danny. Oh course, that's how it's supposed to be, right? At least Martin was supposed to be the "rookie" when he joined up so whatever. For cannon's sake I will say Martin is younger even if it does irk me a bit. It seems so obvious that Eric's older. Damn sexy, but frickin' older!

(2) Randomly created names for the sisters. As for Petra… I've seen it used in fanfics before, but if it's really cannon I can't say because if it is than I missed the episode(s) it was in.

(3) Anyone else notice the height difference between Victor and Martin? I did! I did!

I wasn't sure that I was going to make this "to be continued", but I already have in mind a nice scene for the next part so I guess it is.


	2. Chapter 2

These comments containspoilers(if you haven't seen season two of WaT, especially the episodes "Confidence" and "Legacy"): The Danny name thing is straight WaT cannon – season two. The first episode it's mentioned in, I believe, is "Confidence"; Danny says something about their missing person changing her name to change who she was and Viv asks if he's speaking from experience and puts an emphasis on Danny's last name. In the episode ("Legacy") with Danny's brother you find out that his brother's last name is Alvarez.

Who's Your Daddy? (aka Masks): Chapter Two

by Ami-chan

Martin returned exactly three days later looking tired but strangely contented. He was entirely more relaxed than any of their unit had seen before and they could only assume that was due to his trip to visit his mother's family. Not that they had time to talk about it – they had a missing person they were rushing to find and Martin was immediately thrown into the organized chaos of the investigation. As they were gathering information on the missing girl's family and friends Danny found himself studying Martin a little bit closer than he usually would have. Then again, Martin was usually a lot harder to read, too.

"I take it your trip was successful?" Danny finally had to ask.

A grin that could only be described as a shit-eating grin crossed Martin's face and all he said in reply was, "I'm a Tanner."

Danny took that as a good thing.

The office was back to normal with Martin back, or at least as normal as it had ever been, and despite small differences in this happier less stressed Martin he was still Martin. It wasn't a big deal. Or so they thought. Within twenty-four hours of returning something drastic happened – perhaps minor in the scheme of things but a definite statement – Martin changed his name.

He had left the office as Martin Fitzgerald and returned with a shiny new ID card with the name Martin Tanner clearly printed on it. According to Martin he'd kept his first and middle names the same not wanting to confuse anyone, especially himself, too much. He'd gotten used to being called Martin somehow so why change that?

The ensuing rumors were amusing to say the least. Those that didn't know the story were shocked. Had Martin… taken on the last name of a male partner? Had he perhaps married a woman and taken her name instead of the other way around? Martin only responded to the questions when asked directly and then, as if he wanted everyone one know or maybe he was simply unable to stop himself from saying the truth, explained that it was his real mother's last name. Then everyone knew. Martin had never been Victor Fitzgerald's legitimate son and Martin was proud of that because he _wasn't_ a Fitzgerald.

Weeks passed and they began to grow accustomed to hearing "Tanner" when Martin answered his phone. Danny still slipped and called Martin "Fitzie" every once in a while though he had taken to calling Martin "Vin" or "Vinny" instead since there simply wasn't a good nickname to be had from Tanner and corrupting "Martin" seemed pointless after so much time. It seemed they had only just settled into their new routine, this new and improved Martin when _he_ showed up.

Victor Fitzgerald.

He didn't look particularly happy. As if that was a big surprise.

"Martin." His voice was calm though his eyes were narrowed like he really wanted to scream and shake his son but was restraining himself. It helped that they were surrounded by witnesses so the chances of Victor doing that, here, was slim to none even if Victor did look to be at the end of hisrope.

There was no response from Martin even though his father was standing right there, maybe a foot away from him just glaring in the Victor Fitzgeraldian way that made grown men quake. "Matin." Again, nothing. It was as if Martin suddenly found that his computer was the most interesting fucking thing he'd ever seen. "Martin!" Victor was pissed, practically breathing fire, his hands clenching like he wanted to wrap them around someone's – Martin's – neck. Then suddenly all of the anger dissipated as if Victor was suddenly too damned tired to deal with it. "Vincent."

As if a light had suddenly gone on, Martin turned his head and glanced up. "Can I help you?"

A definite wince from his fellow agents as Victor's brow creased in annoyance. "Don't do this, Martin. I get it."

A snort, a sharp shake of his head. "Yeah, of course you do." Very sarcastic. Martin turned back to his computer, continuing to ignore his father.

There was a heavy sigh from Victor and suddenly the impenetrable Victor Fitzgerald looked old and worn out and not at all intimidating. "Let's have this discussion somewhere else, shall we?"

Martin's eyebrows lifted as if you say, _what so there won't be any witnesses? I don't think so._ While he responded with, "What's wrong with having it here? The whole building already has the details as I'm sure nearly every FBI agent does at this point in time. News travels quickly, or so I've heard."

"I think there are some agents in Alaska that don't know, but beyond that I think you're right." And was that humor from Victor? Humor? Danny was stunned. "I'm serious though, Martin. We need to talk. I tried to call, but you're obviously screening them – I've left you numerous messages on your cell and home phones and you've not returned them."

"I've been busy."

Victor took a step closer. "To busy to pick up a phone and say 'hi'?"

"I think the conversation would have entailed a bit more than 'hi' so yes, too busy." Martin didn't look the least bit apologetic. "Besides, I really didn't need the headache. Now, if you'll excuse me I have work to - "

"Damn it, Martin, if you refuse to talk to me otherwise you'll at least talk to me now. What is this all about?" So must for calm and collected. Danny glanced around and noticed there was quite a bit of an audience and if anyone looked like they were doing work they probably were faking it. No one had popcorn, though. Popcorn might have been nice. And M&M's, those were good too.

Martin leaned back in his chair looking vaguely amused. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit more specific. What is the 'this' you are referring to?"

"You know what I'm referring to, Martin, and don't act as if you don't. Why did you change your name?"

"Shall I list the reasons, honestly? I don't think you're ready to hear that, but if you insist, for starters I didn't want my name changed in the first place. Two, I don't like you and that doesn't make me particularly receptive to having your name. Most importantly I am not and have never been a Fitzgerald – and – and even though I've barely met them I like my mother's family a whole lot better than yours. Besides, you _lied_ to me."

Ooooh feisty Martin. This was getting interesting. Then a familiar scent made his eyes start searching the room because someone did have popcorn and who had had the presence of mind to do that? Oh, Vivian, of course. He took some of the offered popcorn from her and they both settled down to watch. Samantha was too busy recording everything on her cell phone so she could play it back later and show everyone.

"Lied? How did I lie?" The funny thing was that Victor genuinely looked confused.

"Come on, Victor, you lied about everything. What didn't you lie about? I'm talking about my grandfather, you knew he was looking for me and he found me but you refused to let us meet. You tried to pay him to leave me alone!" Martin's cool was gone and he was shaking in rage. "He didn't take your money, of course, but you pressured him enough so that he left without me ever knowing who he was. You told me my mother didn't have any family!"

Victor took a step back, uncertain. "I thought she didn't."

"Until he showed up and then you kept him from me!"

"Martin, that was for the best, it was a very – "

A low, dark growl cut Victor off. "The best for whom? You didn't ask me, you never ask me! What about what I want, what about me making my own decisions? Why do you always do this? Why do you always go behind my back and do things that I don't want because you think it will make everything better? It's not helping me!"

Now an appearance from huffy Martin. He was kind of cute when he was huffy. Danny continued to munch on popcorn and to not analyze that thought.

"Martin, please believe me, I never meant for that to happen it just wasn't a good time."

Victor looked like he was being honest but it was hard to tell. Apparently Martin was having a hard time trying to decide that one for himself. "Then what would have been a good time? Because you had numerous opportunities to tell me and now is really a bit late since he's dead and all and I'll never know him now."

It was as if Martin had suddenly been replaced by a small child – all big, innocent eyes and heartbroken expression as if someone had just told him his puppy had died. Several agents who had better vantage points were brushing tears from their eyes. Soap operas had nothing on the Fitzgeralds… er… Fitzgerald/Tanners.

"I'm sorry Martin. I just – I was just trying to protect you, I didn't want you to be disappointed and I didn't… I didn't want there to be a chance that anyone would try to take you away from me."

The transformation of Martin's face was nearly comical from sadness to shock to confusion and back to shock. "What?"

"In hindsight I probably should have allowed you to meet him or at least given you a choice, but – I know he didn't want to physically take you away from me, but you were already so distance I didn't – I didn't want you to like him more than me. It was – I just didn't want to take the chance." Victor was shifting nervously aware of the eyes on them though he didn't seem at all ready to end their conversation yet. At least not until he had had his say.

"You were jealous of someone I had never even met?" The mind boggled. "You were jealous of the potential relationship I would have with my grandfather. Dad, are you serious?"

Everyone, especially Victor, noticed Martin's first use of the term "dad" in connection with Victor, Martin's father breathing a sigh of what could be considered relief. "Yes, as much as I don't like to admit it, I'm serious. I wanted your undivided attention, even if it was your anger and hate. Martin, you're my son and I love you, but I've never… I've never felt as if you loved me back."

There was a soft "aww" that traveled around the room, ignored by the father and son that were standing in the center of attention. Martin was swallowing hard, desperately trying to find the best way to respond to that. "Some days are harder than others, some days I don't want to like you at all, but you are still my father and nothing will change that or the fact that I love you."

And if that wasn't the hardest thing Martin ever had to say than Danny would eat his… well… he wasn't wearing a hat. His desk, yes. He'd eat his desk. There was no chance of that happening, though, so he continued to eat popcorn.

Then Victor suggested dinner – and when had it gotten that late anyway? – and Martin agreed. Before they left Victor wandered over to Samantha and plucked the phone out of her hand. "I'll be borrowing that." He ignored Samantha's gaping mouth, put his arm around his son, and started for the elevators.

As soon as the elevator doors shut Samantha was howling, "Did you see that? My footage! I can't believe that!"

Danny just shrugged. It was Victor Fitzgerald, what were you going to do? At least things seemed to have worked out for the moment. No doubt in a few days or hours or minutes father and son would be at each other's throats again. That would be fine with Danny, though, because Martin could always come bitching to him about it and Danny was always willing to let Martin do that. Or to rest his head on Danny's shoulder. That would be nice, cozy.

"Having impure thoughts about Marty again?"

Danny smirked up at Vivian because Vivian just knew everything. "Better believe it. Think he'd buy it if I told him I was jealous of everyone that takes his attention away from me?"

"Might want to wait a week before trying that one," Vivian suggested as she turned back to her desk, leaving Danny with the rest of the popcorn.

"Good idea."

-The End-

Okay, so it turned out being pre-slash. I really didn't intend that to happen, but Danny has a mind of his own and Danny's pretty so he gets whatever he wants.


End file.
